


Autumn Traditions

by Seaspray13



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, One Shot, Pumpkin carving, good vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seaspray13/pseuds/Seaspray13
Summary: Julian, Jadzia, and Garak participate in the ancient human tradition of pumpkin carving.
Relationships: Julian Bashir & Elim Garak, Julian Bashir & Jadzia Dax, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 21
Kudos: 63





	Autumn Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy the warm autumn vibes. I'm sitting on two rather large WIPs right now but I couldn't get this silly idea out of my head. I hope you enjoy!

“Explain the purpose of this ‘pumpkin carving’”

“There’s no purpose to it, Elim, it’s just something fun that humans have been doing around harvest time for hundreds of years,” Julian explained as he and Garak strolled along the promenade.

“Cutting out faces in vegetables, really Julian, I would’ve thought you could come up with a better way to fool me.”

“I’m being serious! Ask Miles, or Keiko.”

“No doubt they are in on this little scheme of yours.”

“Ask any human on the station then, I’m telling you the truth!” Julian insisted. “Pumpkin carving is a real human tradition that coincides with the Earth season of fall, and you don’t have to carve a face, people make all sorts of different designs.”

“Hmm,” Garak said, not at all convinced.

“Jadzia is coming over at 1900 hours to carve pumpkins with me, you’re welcome to join us.”

“I have little choice, considering they’re my quarters as well.”

“Of course you do, Jadzia and I can always go somewhere else.”

“Don’t bother,” Garak said with a dismissive wave. “I will join you. I have to admit that I am rather curious...”

Julian smiled, bumping his shoulder against Garak’s, “I’m glad. It will be fun, you’ll see.”

\------------------------

As 1900 approached, Julian was working to get the necessary supplies while Garak sat on the couch, only half paying attention to the PADD he was reading. 

“One pumpkin, thirty-six centimeters in diameter,” Julian said into the replicator. A few moments later, the offensively orange object materialized. 

Garak put down his PADD and walked over for closer examination.

Julian pulled the pumpkin out of the replicator and handed it to Garak so he could replicate another. The Cardassian was surprised by how heavy it was, he was used to human vegetables that were much smaller.

Garak set the pumpkin down on the table, which was covered in a variety of knives and strange looking utensils.

“What’s this?” Garak asked, pointing to a bowl of small orange, yellow, and white triangles.

Julian set the second pumpkin down, “Candy corn,” he said by way of explanation, picking up a handful of the triangles and putting them in his mouth.

Garak selected one from the bowl and gave it a curious sniff before putting it in his mouth. He regretted it almost instantly, “Julian!”

“Too sweet?” Julian asked, somewhat apologetically. “Maybe you’ll like this better,” he said and ordered two hot apple ciders from the replicator, taking one mug for himself and offering the other to Garak. 

The Cardassian took a small sip. The drink was sweet, but certainly more tolerable than the candy corn, and it had the added bonus of being warm.

A chime indicated that someone was at the door, “come in!” Julian called.

Lieutenant Jadzia Dax walked in, carrying a pumpkin of her own under one arm. “Hi Julian,” she said, walking over to set her pumpkin in the table before giving her friend a hug.

“I’m glad you could join us Jadzia,” Julian said after she had released him.

“I’ve taken part in traditions from many different cultures over the past 300 or so years, but even this one is new to me,” she smiled. “Hello Garak,” she said, turning towards him.

“Lieutenant,” Garak replied with a respectful nod.

“Alright,” Julian began, “first things first, we need to get the seeds out so the inside is hollow. He demonstrated by picking up one of the larger knifes and cutting around the top of the pumpkin to make a sort of lid. 

Garak watched carefully before he and Dax followed suit. Once the tops of all the pumpkins had been removed, Julian grabbed a large bowl that had been set off to the side, “now we can scoop out all the seeds. Captain Sisko told me to save them, I think he’s planning on roasting them later.”

Garak scooped out a handful of the pumpkin’s insides. The feeling was unusual, but not unpleasant. It reminded him of digging through wet soil. Garak gave himself a mental note to ask Mrs. O’Brien if it would be at all possible to grow pumpkins on the station.

Julian and Dax had finished emptying their pumpkins and had moved onto the actual carving. Julian explained that he was opting for the traditional jack-o-lantern face while Dax decided she was going to do her best to recreate the silhouette of Deep Space Nine.

“What are you going to make, Elim?” Julian asked.

Truth be told, Garak wasn’t sure what he was going to carve, “perhaps I’ll recreate Quark’s face and leave it on the bar as a token of my appreciation.”

Dax snorted, “he’ll probably see it as free advertising and come up with a special pumpkin themed beverage.”

“And he’ll decorate the entire bar with pumpkins to draw in more customers and then charge extra for the ‘festive’ atmosphere,” Julian added.

“Indeed,” Garak agreed. As entertaining as it would have been to watch that series of events unfold, the Cardassian now had a much better idea of what to carve.

The rest of the evening passed by in quiet contentment, punctuated by occasional conversation between Julian and Dax. 

Julian finished his carving first and moved to set the completed jack-o-lantern on one of the coffee tables, “people used to put candles inside them,” he explained. “Then when it got dark all you would see is a spooky glowing face.”

“Maybe my pumpkin will be scary enough to spook a Jem’Hadar fleet if they decide to show up,” Dax said as she finished the last few details of her carving.

“Oh I’m sure it will be,” Julian grinned. “Even in vegetable form, there’s nothing scarier than Deep Space Nine.”

Garak frowned, “I was not aware that the purpose of our designs was to be frightening.”

“It’s not,” Julian assured him, “but the season of fall has traditionally been associated with death and all things sinister.”

“That seems to be an odd thing to celebrate.”

“As you’ve said before, we humans are an odd people.”

“Odd, but charming,” Dax added, as she stood up, pumpkin in hand. “Thanks for inviting me over Julian. I would stay longer, but Nerys and I have some holosuite time reserved and you know how Quark is with his late fees.”

“Of course, thank you for joining us Jadzia,” Julian said.

“Anytime,” she replied, giving Julian a kiss on the cheek and waving to Garak before she walked out the door.

Julian watched her go before turning back to Garak, “you never did say what you were carving,” he said, moving to look over Garak’s shoulder.

Garak quickly covered up when he was working on, “I was hoping it could be a surprise, my dear. Why don’t you go sit on the couch and I’ll join you in a moment?”

Julian raised an eyebrow, “as you wish” he said and left Garak’s side.

After a few minutes, Garak brought his pumpkin over to the same coffee table that displayed Julian’s jack-o-lantern. He turned the pumpkin so Julian could see the design from where he was sitting.

“Oh! Elim,” Julian said as he jumped up to take a closer look. “That’s beautiful, it’s an orchid, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Garak said with a nod. He took Julian’s hand and lead him back to the couch where they sat down together.

“You’re sure you’ve never done this before?” Julian asked.

“I knew nothing about this tradition until you explained it to me this morning.” 

“Well you’re quite good at it.”

“Perhaps it just made use of my various skills.”

“I suppose you are quite handy with a knife,” Julian conceded. “The most important thing is whether or not you enjoyed yourself.”

“I did, although I could’ve done without the candy corn.”

“Just be thankful I didn’t give you a caramel apple,” Julian said, leaning his head on Garak’s shoulder.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Garak was always grateful to have Julian’s warm body pressed up against his own, but he felt like something was missing. 

“Excuse me for one moment, my dear,” Garak said, getting up to use the replicator. He asked the device for two artificial candles and walked over to set them inside the pumpkins before rejoining Julian on the couch.

“Computer, lights off,” Garak said as Julian snuggled up to him. They were left in near darkness, with only the flickering of the candles casting faint splashes of light against the wall.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!


End file.
